Are Commercial Microwaves Better: Superior Benefits Revealed
When thinking about the most used equipment in a restaurant it is usual that a commercial microwave oven is left out of the equation and pushed to the back simply because people don’t see chefs using a microwave in their mind. However, microwave ovens are used for multiple purposes in a kitchen dozens if not even hundreds of times per day.
Many restaurants believe that using a domestic or residential microwave is perfectly fine even when it certainly isn’t and the main reason behind this is usually the need to save money which I do understand but there are so many reasons why restaurants should always use a commercial microwave oven because there are multiple benefits to it as well.
Commercial microwaves are better when compared to domestic ones because they are more durable, powerful, safer to use, and they are highly programmable and customizable. In addition, commercial microwaves meet health and insurance criteria’s and they come with a long warranty in case of malfunctions.
As we can see, there are so many benefits to commercial microwaves that there is no reason to use a domestic one, and whether you would want to use one, domestic microwaves don’t usually meet the regulations set by health organizations and insurance companies aren’t as willing to take them under their services either.
Contents
Why are commercial microwaves better
Before we continue more into the world of microwave ovens, we need to inspect all the mentioned perks individually so you can truly grasp the superiority of commercial microwaves. Without further due, let’s dive in!
More Durable & Long Warranty
When comparing a domestic and commercial microwave oven, there is no doubt that a commercial one has way higher quality parts and components build into it.
Commercial microwaves have industrial level power cords, cooling fans, a durable body, a long-lasting display, and a heavy-duty door which is useful when using it hundred times a day. All these perks combined commercial microwaves usually last +10 or more!
In addition to the industrial level construction, they usually come with a long warranty for many years ahead and the manufacturers are so generous with the warranties because it is known by all that commercial microwaves actually do last that long, and malfunctions and other problems are so rare.
Meets Health & Insurance Criteria
There are certain health criteria and regulations that a microwave needs to have before the restaurant could actually use it, however, they aren’t inspected so often so many restaurants keep using the domestic ones even if they won’t meet the criteria. It’s highly important to use proper commercial equipment so you can have great relations with the health departments.
Also, many insurance companies won’t compensate the costs that a domestic microwave could cause in a restaurant. For example, if something happens to the microwave or if the microwave starts a fire which would harm other items as well. It could be quite a cost to the restaurant if they didn’t use a commercial one instead of a domestic one, therefore I highly advise for you to check the principles of your insurance company so you can be sure that no accidents could happen.
Higher Power
The most noticeable benefit to commercial microwaves is that they are extremely powerful because they have higher watts which will result in much faster heating, defrosting, or melting.
Saving time and serving the customers as fast as possible is something that all restaurants thrive towards to and when you have something to defrost, melt, or heat, a task with a domestic microwave could take 10minutes whereas the same task would be done in 2 with a commercial one.
Safer to Use
Commercial microwave ovens are way safer than domestic ones as well. This is because commercial microwaves will defrost and heat the food much more evenly which will minimize the risks that an uncooked food might present, whereas the same risk would be greater with a residential microwave.
In addition, commercial microwaves are tested in every aspect and program multiple times and even the NSF could be involved which will make sure that all dangerous malfunctions, power cord failures, or other problems have a way lower chance of occurring than with a domestic one.
High Variety of Programs
The last but not least benefit is the huge variety of customizable programs that you can set alongside your specific needs in the kitchen. You can set and invent specific times and powers for the most common dishes so you can simply do what you need to do by simply clicking one button instead of always setting the things each and every time.
Also, there are things such as program lock so the programs that are set won’t change, many power levels to choose from, different defrosting powers, and special programs such as ”popcorn” or ”pizza” that are made for specific foods to maximize the efficiency.
As we can see these perks put domestic microwave ovens to shame and a restaurant should always use a commercial one. You can immediately see the increased efficiency when you have switched from a domestic one to a commercial.
What makes a microwave commercial grade
Commercial microwave is defined by their industrial level components, parts, and design that can withstand heavy-duty usage from day to day basis. Restaurant kitchens got hundreds of orders per day and there are so many tasks to take care of in there and a commercial microwave needs to last a decade in 24/7 usage.
If a microwave is a commercial grade, it is usually tested by an organization such as the NSF so the consumers and businesses can be sure that the product is in fact made for heavy commercial usage.
Are some microwaves better than others
In short, all commercial microwaves are better than domestic ones but there are also differences between commercial ones as well. There are light, medium, and heavy-duty microwave ovens where heavy microwave ovens have the most power, therefore they are the fastest which makes them better. So yes, some microwaves are better than others and the gaps between specific ones can be quite large.
Read also: Are Commercial Microwaves Worth The Money?
What is standard microwave wattage
Standard wattage for a domestic microwave oven is usually somewhere between 700-1000 watts. Standard commercial microwave wattage for light-duty microwaves is 1000 watts, for a medium microwave it is 1200-2000 watts, and lastly, for heavy-duty, it is +2000 watts.
Microwave Type | Watts |
Domestic Microwave | 700-1000 |
Light-Duty Microwave | 1000 |
Medium-Duty Microwave | 1200-2000 |
Heavy-Duty Microwave | +2000 |
How many watts is a commercial microwave
There are many different types of commercial microwaves but a great rule of thumb is that commercial microwaves have +1000watts and they can go even as high as +3000. There are also commercial microwaves with about 900 watts but they are built to last with many programming options and they are approved by health regulation associations.
What is the highest wattage on a microwave
Personally, I haven’t seen a microwave that is more than 3500 watts nor have I heard of one. For example, this commercial microwave oven from Webstaurant haves 3500 watts, and as a chef and experienced restaurant worker, I haven’t ever heard of a microwave having more than that.
Should restaurants use microwaves
Many people think that a restaurant can’t have a microwave in their kitchen and that they should use it for anything which simply isn’t true. A restaurant should use microwaves for various tasks such as melting butter or chocolate, heating up a side sauce, defrosting, heating up a baked potato, and many other tasks that need the powers of a commercial microwave. Why else would there be microwaves designed for restaurants that cost thousands of dollars, if any restaurant shouldn’t ever use one?
Don’t get me wrong, there are more things that a restaurant should never use a microwave than there are tasks where it is good to use one, and the customer’s meals shouldn’t see the inside of a microwave. I will go through more on how you can spot a microwaved food, etc in the article below.
Read also: Do Fine Restaurants Have Microwaves In Their Kitchens?
Conclusion
This article went in-depth on the world of commercial microwaves and how they are far superior to domestic ones that are usually used at the home. If you are working in a restaurant and are using a domestic one, I highly recommend switching to a commercial one for all the reasons found above.
I hope that this article gave you real value that you can implement into your actual day to day life!